According to a March 4 report by LatePost, Centurium Capital has successfully bid for Blue Bottle Coffee and is finalizing the transaction with Nestlé. A source close to Luckin Coffee stated that Centurium will acquire all global retail locations of Blue Bottle Coffee, while Nestlé will retain the brand's coffee machine and capsule business. Another source familiar with Centurium indicated that although the deal has been signed, the transfer process has not yet been completed.
Public records show that Centurium Capital is a private equity fund management firm founded by Li Hui in 2017. The firm entered Luckin Coffee as an investor during its Series A funding round in 2018. Following Luckin Coffee's financial fraud crisis in 2020, Centurium led the company's restructuring and value restoration efforts, ultimately becoming its controlling shareholder. On April 30, 2025, Luckin Coffee announced that Guo Jinyi would step down as chairman of the board, and the board approved the reappointment of Li Hui as chairman.
Blue Bottle Coffee and Luckin Coffee maintain distinctly different brand positioning. Founded in Oakland, California, in 2002 by clarinetist James Freeman, Blue Bottle Coffee is a specialty coffee brand renowned for its meticulous attention to coffee quality and unique store aesthetics. In 2017, Nestlé acquired approximately 68% of Blue Bottle Coffee for about $425 million. According to data from Narrow Door Meal Eye, as of February 12, 2026, Blue Bottle Coffee operates 15 stores in China.
If Centurium Capital successfully acquires Blue Bottle Coffee, it could assist Luckin Coffee in expanding its brand portfolio and establishing a differentiated competitive advantage.
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